Harris Center Breaks Ground on Northeast Youth and Family Wellness Center

The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD broke ground on a new Youth and Family Wellness Center in northeast Harris County last week, replacing a flood-prone Northeast Community Center that has repeatedly been knocked offline during major rain events, with an estimated $10.5 million behind the project and an opening target of early 2027.

State Representative Senfronia Thompson co-hosted the mid-March ceremony and is credited with securing the funding. The Harris Center's project page separately cites $10 million in ARPA funding from District 141, which covers Northeast Houston and Humble; the precise breakdown between those figures has not been publicly confirmed.

The existing Northeast Community Center's vulnerability to flooding has made it an unreliable anchor for behavioral health services in a community where The Harris Center describes demand as growing. The new facility is designed to fix that structural problem while also broadening the range of care. The center will offer traditional outpatient services including case management, psychotherapy, skills training, medication management, and substance abuse counseling, alongside housing services and integrative primary care. Services specific to this location include a dietitian for children and wellness education for adults 55 and older. A community building on site will host cooking classes, meditation, and inclusive yoga.

The design itself reflects a deliberate philosophy: providers will rotate into a single room to see clients rather than moving patients between offices, creating a more seamless experience. Natural lighting, greenery, and sensory-friendly design are listed as top priorities for the space.

The Harris Center operates across 23 locations in Harris County and employs more than 2,600 people, making it the largest provider of community-based behavioral health and IDD services in Texas. The Youth and Family Wellness Center will be its newest location.

Residents seeking services can call the Patient Assistance Line at 713-970-7000, option 2, or walk in to any Harris Center clinic Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Walk-ins are processed on a first-come, first-served basis until daily slots are filled. The 988 crisis line remains available around the clock.